Bad Timing
by Tinuviel's Song
Summary: Inuyasha is captured and is to be executed for murders he didn't commit. Now, Kagome and the others must free him before it's too late. Will they save him in time?


Bad Timing

An Inuyasha fic By String Theory (aka Fwe and Tinuviel's Song... but mostly Tinuviel's Song for this chapter)

**Author's note: Tinuviel's Song uses parentheses to signify when a bad word is being used, rather than flat-out saying the word.  
**

'_Thinking'_

"Speaking"

(bad word, replaced by euphemism)

Enjoy!

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There was a light. Being that it was daytime, this in itself was not quite so uncommon. The strange thing, though perhaps not as strange as the other things they had seen, was that it was blinking.

Through the foliage and past the dark shadows of the forest, Inuyasha spotted it first, gleaming out into their unfocused eyes with a brightness that was at first alarming, and then, only a curiosity. It went on and off at intervals, in steps countable by heartbeats and breaths.

As they traveled down the dusty path and into open space, free of the catching brambles and the quietness, they saw what it was.

A small village sat in the crook of a valley, not far from where they stood, as plain and mundane as every other they had come upon. People milled about quietly in the streets, the occasional ox pulling a cart along and out of sight behind the short buildings, toward the center of town. There, Kagome observed, sat a rather large gong.

Along with each glinting, bright flash of light, accompanied a sound, deep and not wholly unpleasant. A man struck it once, twice, three times before a silence took up again, and Kagome looked on wonderingly as the town's inhabitants scattered in a frenzy toward the clanging signal.

"I wonder what's happening," she pondered aloud.

"Let's check it out," declared Inuyasha, walking off ahead of the others. Before he could get far, however, he felt a hand grip his shoulder. Inuyasha stopped dead in his tracks.

"Hey, wait… Isn't it about your… y'know, 'time of the month?'" The silver-haired hanyou turned around to face Kagome, whose hand still rested upon his shoulder.

"What're you talking about, wench?" He queried, plucking her hand from his shoulder.

"Eh… Every new moon, your body transforms so you become a human, remember?" she said, if a bit sarcastically.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "Keh! I know more about my body than _you_ do, wench! Are you doubting my intelligence?"

"I'm not saying you're stupid, idiot!" Kagome fumed, stamping her foot and raising dirt into the air. "I was just saying that you shouldn't go into the village without checking to see if there's any threat of a demon, first!"

"Oh, now you really _are_ calling me stupid, huh? You're one to talk! You can't even defend yourself properly! You're always like--" Inuyasha's voice became mockingly high-pitched, and he placed his hands on his hips, sharply swaying them back and forth. "'Oh no, I've tried to use my stupid bow and arrows on the demon, but now it's charging to rip me into little, tiny Kagome-bits! What _ever_ shall I do?'" he gave a wispy gasp and twirled his index finger around before resting it on his chin thoughtfully. "'I know, I'll just freeze in place and scream my lungs out for Inuyasha! I just _know_ he'll come and rescue me, because…'" His voice returned to normal, and he leaned in towards Kagome, his nose nearly touching hers. "'…I'm just a weak, little girl with no tactical sense!'"

"I-nu-_yasha_…" Inuyasha froze. Kagome's voice held a fearsome anger, the kind that makes children whimper in fright and defenseless dogs back away into a corner. It made him knock his knees a little, too.

"Here we go…" Sango sighed, shaking her head slowly in unison with Miroku. Shippou covered his ears and squeezed his eyes shut, knowing what was to come.

"SIT!"

_BOOM! _

Inuyasha struggled to get up, elbows shaking as he stared at the dirt below him. He finally gained his footing and dusted off his haori. "Okay, Kagome, if you think we should search for demons, then go ahead! But I don't see, smell, hear, or sense anything out of the ordinary, so I _really_ don't know what to look for."

Miroku walked up to Inuyasha's side, wresting his _shakujo_(1)on his shoulder. "I don't sense anything, either," he stated, looking around the small area. "But perhaps it's further on into the village. Though, I'd doubt it. There doesn't seem to be a disturbance anywhere. Hmm… Lady Kagome, do you sense a Jewel Shard near?"

Kagome shook her head, and then sighed. "Well, Inuyasha, I guess we can pass through."

"Good, 'cause I'm starvin'!" Shippou exclaimed, hopping in front of Inuyasha's feet. His enthusiasm was crushed when he looked up to see Inuyasha staring down at him.

"No, we can't stay. As long as Naraku's still out there, we _have_ to keep moving."

Silently, so as to give no false hopes, he continued forward, not even giving a backward glance. The remaining party looked on in wonderment for a second before they gathered themselves and ran off to join Inuyasha, who was walking up to the gathering crowd.

"Did you hear, Henjin?" said a voice at Kagome's side. "There's been another murder." Kagome turned in surprise, about to answer the woman, when someone else began to speak instead.

"Yeh, apparently, it was a _demon_ what done it."

The middle-aged woman grumbled slightly, gaping teeth flashing out into the day. "So you say?"

"_Mm…_ It's rumored to still be lurking about the town, too," the man continued, "The newest victim was a young samurai feller, murdered outside the teahouse last night. Five other people have gone missing, too. It's _strange_ business if you ask me."

'_A demon? Why didn't any of us sense anything?'_ Kagome turned around, craning her neck to see around the growing crowd. It took her a moment to register the fact that her companions were missing.

"Inuyasha?" she called, looking around the crowd. She saw no sign of the vermilion-clad man. Her voice rose to a near-scream. "Inuyasha! Ooh… _Inuyasha!_ Miroku, Sango?! Inu--"

"I'm right here, stop yelling! Jeez…" Kagome looked to her rear-right to see Inuyasha standing there, releasing his grip on the hilt of Tetsusaiga. "What the heck're you screechin' about, Kagome?" he said in irritation, crossing his arms over his chest. "Sounded like you were gettin' killed!"

"Um…" Kagome looked around to see that a few people were staring at her in disturbance, and at Inuyasha in shock. She felt her cheeks grow hot with the embarrassment of causing a scene. "Uh, th-this guy said that there's a murderous demon in town… Should we--" Kagome looked out in front of her to see a blank spot where the man had once stood. She blinked in surprise. "Hey, where'd he go?"

"He probably went up further to hear better," he said. All of a sudden, he looked up at the people staring at him, furrowing his brow. "Hey…" The onlookers froze with fear. "What are _you_ lookin' at?" he snapped. The onlookers quickly turned around in a panic, mumbling among themselves about the "terrifying demon" standing behind them. "Hmh! Nosy little… What were you saying, Kagome? 'Should we…?'"

Kagome looked puzzled a moment, before that old metaphorical egg timer went off in her head. "Oh! Should we help them?"

"Nope," he said, clear and simple. Kagome's back straightened and her mouth bobbed up and down like a cod's.

"Did you just say--"

"Like you said, it's my "time of the month". A demon this powerful, I won't be able to hold off so easily, so long as I'm human. It's nearly dusk, and I don't want to take any chances. Besides, I don't think these people want any help from a _demon."_ Kagome gave him a look, and then diverted her eyes to the crowd, not particularly resting her eyes on a particular person. Inuyasha sucked air through his teeth and sighed. "We'll come back later, maybe, _okay?"_ Kagome nodded in relieved agreement, though she was still greatly worried on the inside.

'_What if the whole village is killed?'_ she thought. _'And why is Inuyasha acting so passive about this whole demon thing? Is he worried that he won't be able to protect us or fend it off, because he's going to be full-human soon?'_

"Where are Sango and the others?" She asked, shaking herself of her increasing worry. Inuyasha made a noise that was a sort of half-grunt/half-chuckle.

"Sango and fuzz-butt went off to find food, _even though_ I _said_ we can't stay. Miroku--heck, I dunno! He probably went to some teahouse, for all I know!" he exclaimed with a shrug. Kagome rolled her eyes.

A short man with beady, little eyes and chubby little hands stepped in front of the crowd. Clearing his voice, he coughed before opening his mouth to speak. In an ironically powerful voice, he announced that the demon _must _be dealt with. Whoever caught the demon alive would be made rich and famous, gaining a name all over the Japanese nation and beyond. The crowd cheered and some began to bet on whom would catch the demon. Inuyasha backed away into a shadowy corner. Kagome joined him, pressing her back against the cool stone of the Inari(3) shrine behind them.

"We need to get outta here, and quick." Inuyasha muttered. Kagome was about to say something, when a familiarly nerve-grating voice split through the air.

"Hey, you guys! Sango and Miroku found an inn with lotsa _food!_ C'mon!" Shippou exclaimed brightly, jumping up and down in the air repeatedly. The couple watched him rise and fall until Inuyasha finally became tired of this and grabbed the little kitsune by the head, holding him upside-down in his hand.

"Will you cut that out!" he thundered, beginning to wave Shippou about like a schoolmarm's bell.

"Hey! Let go of me, you lunk head, or I'll use my Heart Scar on you!" Inuyasha let out a fearful yelp and dropped Shippou on the ground. "Ow! Kagome, Inuyasha dropped me on my butt _really hard!"_ Shippou whined, rubbing his dust-covered bum.

"Shut up, I didn't drop you _that _hard. And plus, that powder-puff of a tail o' yours probably cushioned the fall." To prove the point, Inuyasha picked up the pint-sized demon by his tail and grinned snidely. Kagome quickly grabbed Shippou from his grasp and set the little fox-demon on the ground. She glared at Inuyasha. "What're are you lookin' at me like that for?" He inquired, backing up a bit.

"Why'd you just say that?"

"Say what? The powder puff thing? 'Cause… You see, Kagome, there's a certain art to insults. First off--"

"No-no-no!" Kagome exclaimed, rapidly waving her hands about. "Why'd you say we need to go?" Kagome never got an answer, for Inuyasha suddenly stiffened up and sniffed at the air.

"I smell a demon close by: a powerful one. It's pretty close, maybe a mile away, maybe even closer. We need to move out, _now_!"

Kagome nodded. "Let's look for the others," she said.

As they walked from the square, and the sounds of the crowd dissipated into barely a dull roar, Kagome's eyes slipped around, watching the walls as if the buildings themselves were demons.

Before she could register what was happening, something was fluttering across the back of her neck and spider-bite chills spread across her arms.

"Ahh! Ahh!" she screeched, trying to run and desperately failing. "Get it off, get it off!"

Inuyasha took a moment of quiet wonderment, and glanced at Shippou who shrugged quietly. Sighing, he walked forward and pulled someone's poor, lost hat from the back of Kagome's head.

"Here," Kagome flinched as Inuyasha passed the hat to her, and began to blush as she realized what it was. "The wind must've blown it away."

Shippou shook his head lightly, crossing his arms like a wise sage and nearly got out whatever smart remark he was going to make, when Kagome suddenly peaked up.

"Why don't ya wear this to hide your ears, Inuyasha?" she said, holding the hat up to Inuyasha's face. Inuyasha cocked his head, dog-ears pressed flat to his head. Then, he nodded and bowed his head to let Kagome put the hat on. Once the hat was placed carefully upon Inuyasha's head, she stepped back to observe her work. A burst of laughter nearly escaped her. It was barely covering his left ear and his right eye was completely hidden by the brim. "Whoops," she tittered. "Sorry."

Inuyasha merely grumbled, archly straightening the conical hat. "Can we look for the others now? I wanna get the heck outta this junk-heap."

Kagome nodded, kneeling on the dirt road to be at eye-level with Shippou. "Shippou," she asked, "where are Sango and Miroku?"

"Inside the inn." Shippou said, as if it were that obvious.

"Keh! Vermin! There are _three_ inns here!" Inuyasha exclaimed, swiftly scanning his hand over the surrounding buildings. Indeed, three of them were inns. "Which one?"

"Uh… Er… The- _second_- one?" Shippou chuckled nervously.

"You'd better be right, Shippou." Inuyasha said in a threatening tone, running off towards the second inn. Kagome picked the small being up and quickly followed Inuyasha.

Inuyasha ran into the building, slapping open the swinging doors with such force that the occupants inside the lobby jumped up all at once.

"May I help you?" An old man behind the reception counter asked in a hoarse, tremulous voice as the three shard-collectors stepped up to his desk.

Inuyasha nodded, conical hat doing a dance upon his head. Slapping it down to his head with one hand, Inuyasha began to speak. "Yeah, old man, we're looking for a monk and a young woman who might've accompanied him." The seasoned innkeeper leaned back in his chair, scratching his chin reflectively.

"Ah, yes, let's see… Hm… Mayhap if you give me some money, my old, tired mind may remember such people."

Inuyasha grunted, pounding his fist on the desk. The pens, inks, and paper all jumped up at once, much like the inhabitants of the lobby, earlier. "Look, gramps, I don't have time to boob around! Unless you want to meet the bad end of my sword, you'll tell me where they are!" The old chap leaned over his desk to see if Inuyasha was bluffing. When he caught a glimpse of the Tetsusaiga, he gasped and jumped from behind the desk, pointing down the hallway.

"They're in the third room down," he stammered. Inuyasha ran down the hall without a word, the sleeves of his haori making a _fwap-fwap _sound as they brushed against the narrow walls. Kagome looked on in irritation, then turned to the old man and bowed deeply, nearly crushing Shippou.

"Thank you, _teishu-sama(3). _You'll have to forgive my friend; he's in a bit of a rush." Bowing again, she rushed after Inuyasha and leaving a very bewildered innkeeper.

In the third room down, just as the innkeeper had instructed, Sango was sitting on the floor next to Miroku, playing with Kirara, while Miroku was sipping a cup of tea.

"Monk!" Inuyasha hissed, whacking the cup out of Miroku's hand and causing tea to splash in the monk's face. Luckily, it was rather lukewarm.

"Inuyasha… Might I inquire as to _why_ you just did that?" Miroku said calmly and quietly, quickly springing up onto his feet as the greenish-brown liquid dripped from his chin. Sango dropped Kirara and slowly got up to join Miroku's side.

"You aren't supposed to be here," Inuyasha growled. "We're supposed to be _leaving, _you idiot!"

"But we need to rest! We've been traveling for three days straight!" Sango argued, thrusting three fingers into the air.

"No time to argue. We need to leave, _now!"_ Inuyasha grabbed Miroku by the collar of his robe and dragged him out into the hall and beyond.

"We can rest on the road," Kagome reassured Sango as the two girls (and Shippou) ran out to meet the men. They were out the door before either of them could react.

"Ho there! You five, where's my money?" The old innkeeper called out the door. Three glittering coins crashed into his head all at once, causing the poor cheapskate to fall back in a faint.

The two young ladies finally caught up with Inuyasha and Miroku, short of breath and a bit worse for wear. The other side of the forest loomed before them, a path cutting it in half, and winding down toward what looked like infinity. Kagome let go of Sango's hand, and Inuyasha of Miroku. Quietly, they stood in a line, ready to embark once again. Kagome took the first step--Suddenly, two youngish men approached the group, brandishing swords and smug grins.

"Well, well, where do you all think you're going in such a rush?" Sneered the younger of the two, a skinny fellow with light brown eyes.

"We, uh, we have urgent business to attend to, and…" said Kagome, once again, at a loss for words. Inuyasha leaned over and mumbled in her ear.

"Shut up, Kagome. You'll just make things worse. You always do."

"_Excuse_ me?" Kagome said, an eyebrow twitching.

"I'm just saying…"

"You're just saying _what?"_ Kagome scoffed, stepping up slowly to Inuyasha.

"Nothin'." He said huffily, averting his gaze to the sky.

"I want to know!"

"_Nothing!"_ Inuyasha exclaimed, pronouncing each letter distinctly. Kagome grunted with frustration. Inuyasha pointed an accusing finger at Kagome's nose. "Keh! See, you always have to make every conversation worse!"

The two young men standing before them looked at each other in confusion, then back over at the bickering couple. The thinner fellow stepped forward and stood between Inuyasha and Kagome.

"Excuse me," He began, pushing the two debaters away from each other. "Hate to interrupt this _touching_ moment, but--"

"--we need to get back to business," the other lad, a tall but not altogether lean young man, finished.

"What business?" asked Miroku.

The two men looked searchingly at each other a moment before standing at attention and all together trying to look important.

"We're standing watch--" said one.

"--to make sure the murderer doesn't escape town."

"Murderer? I'm not no murderer, pal, so _buzz off!"_ Inuyasha commanded, pointing a sharp-clawed thumb over his shoulder. His thumb caught the back of the hat, sending it flying off of his head. The two swordsmen stared in surprise, then matching 'ha, we know what you are!' looks slid upon their faces. Inuyasha felt the air around his head grow cooler as his ears poked up into the atmosphere. "Oh, _crap!" _He hissed.

"Shall I, Shichimaru, or shall you?"

"Shall you _what?"_ Inuyasha inquired, slowly reaching for his sword. Before he could react, though, the older of the two boys thrust his sword forward and ran the blade across Inuyasha's stomach, tearing a line in his haori and kosode, a little waterfall of blood dripping from the wound. Both the boys (and Inuyasha's group, slightly) were startled when Inuyasha didn't even flinch. "Wrong move, short-stuff!" he exclaimed, unsheathing the Tetsusaiga and revealing its true, massive form. The two louts backed up in fright, screaming for their lives (literally).

"We beg of you, spare us our lives, O great dog-demon!" Begged the one called Shichimaru, getting on his knees and bowing low. The other man just stood there, staring at his comrade in bewilderment, and Inuyasha mirrored his stare, staying his sword.

"Well, that was fast…" Kagome mumbled, though she was still a bit suspicious about the ordeal. Her suspicions were confirmed when the one kneeling slid his sword's scabbard behind Inuyasha's calves and pulled it towards himself, causing Inuyasha to fall over backwards. At that exact moment, the other hoodlum threw some sort of smoke bomb, blinding everyone. A sudden shriek flew through the smoke.

"Dang! I can't see!" Inuyasha said from behind his sleeve, trying desperately to hold back a cough. "Miroku, clear this smoke up!" After a rather long explosion of coughs from the monk, he finally answered.

"Wind Tunnel!" The smoke evaporated into a yellowish mist, and then into nothingness. Everything was still. The hoodlums were gone… and so was Kagome.

"Hey, where'd those two pip-squeaks run off to?" Inuyasha inquired, turning around in a circle, trying to determine the destination of the two guardsmen. "They run back home to their _mommies? _Keh! Wimps!"

"Where's Kagome?" asked Sango, gasping immediately after. "Did they kidnap her?"

"Or did Miroku…" Shippou stammered, staring in horror at Miroku's cursed hand. Miroku started, waving his hands about as his eyes widened with horror.

"Eh! Wha--N-no, I'm sure that I…" Miroku, Shippou, and Sango suddenly became silent when they heard a deep rumble coming from what seemed to be nowhere.

"W-w-w-what's that…?" asked Shippou, his face blanched with fear. The little group became petrified when they realized that the great thundering was coming from none other than Inuyasha.

"Inu… yasha…?" Miroku hesitated, placing a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. Inuyasha swiftly elbowed him in the stomach, and Miroku backed away from him as slowly as he'd came.

"…I can't believe I was so _weak_ as to let a couple of stupid _humans _defeat me so _easily!"_ Inuyasha shouted, stabbing Tetsusaiga into the soil.

"C- calm down, please," Miroku pleaded. "It could've happened to anyone." Still, Inuyasha would not listen.

"…And now, they have Kagome… I'm gonna have their (dang) _heads!" _he hissed.He asserted this claim by swinging Tetsusaiga and felling a big, fat tree. Miroku grabbed Shippou from off the floor, hooking an arm around Sango's leg, and bracing himself in case Inuyasha went demon on them all. Sango shook Miroku off and stepped forward to Inuyasha, much to the letch's horror.

"Inuyasha…" Inuyasha turned to face Sango, his eyes still aflame with rage. He suddenly felt a stinging sensation in his right cheek. It took him a long, dazed moment to realize that Sango had slapped him. His expression morphed into that of surprise.

"Sango…" Inuyasha breathed, placing a hand on his reddened cheek.

"Snap out of it!" She cried, quickly lowering her hand. "We're going to get Kagome back, like we _always_ do. Kagome's strong; she can fend for herself, so just _shut up,_ and let's start looking for her… okay?" She said, smiling. Inuyasha smiled in return, slowly, but steadily. Finally regaining his stance, he rested his sword on his shoulder.

"Well, what are you all standin' around gawking for? Let's get moving!" He said vivaciously, grinning in an out-of-character way and getting ready to lunge off into the forest. Miroku jumped in front of Inuyasha, blocking the hanyou's way.

"Inuyasha, stop! You're bleeding pretty badly. You shouldn't go looking for her in your condition." Miroku said, eying the pool of blood forming at Inuyasha's feet.

"Heh! What condition? This is barely a scratch! We got ourselves a girl to save, so we better not waste any more time!" He exclaimed, pushing Miroku aside and marching ahead into the forest.

"Well… that was rather odd, but quite intriguing nonetheless," said Miroku, sighing. "If only it were _I _that Lady Sango had slapped. How I long for her warm touch. I wonder…" He murmured, reaching out to Sango's bum. Sango followed Inuyasha into the brush, pulling aside a branch so that Miroku could pass through, as well. As Miroku stepped in, Sango let go of the branch and it whacked Miroku in the face, scratch-marks running across his nose and eyelids.

"There's your "touch", monk! Now stop messing around and help us look for Kagome!" Sango boomed, sandals pounding on the rocky forest floor as she stomped off ahead of Inuyasha. Miroku sighed dreamily as he rubbed his forehead, Shippou perched on his shoulder, the monk trudging forward.

The four walked throughout the forest, looking for a sign of Kagome--a broken branch, a piece of clothing, a mark on a tree--anything! But they found nothing. There was not a trace of the time-traveling girl, not even her scent. Inuyasha began to get anxious. Normally, they could've found the captors in a snap, but this time, it was different. It was as if the bandits had never existed, or it was as if they were invisible.Still, he kept his guard, just in case the bandits suddenly flew out of the trees or something.

As they were walking along, Inuyasha could've sworn that he heard the faint sound of Kagome's voice, heard her call out his name.

"Kagome?" He asked the air, his eyes scanning over the surrounding area. At first, he thought that he was just hearing things. Then, her voice repeated, a little bit louder, followed by what sounded like a quick squeak of pain. A sudden streak of protective fury overtook him, and Inuyasha began to sprint through the foliage, ignoring the thick branches blocking his way. "Kagome! Kagome!" He cried, running all around the modest area of forest, followed close behind by the others. There was still no sign of Kagome. "(Dang) it!" Inuyasha hissed, punching a hole in the bark of a nearby tree. Dislodging his hand, he hung his head in exasperation. "Where _is_ she?"

"Inuyasha?" said a familiar, feminine voice. Inuyasha looked up to Kagome standing about two feet away from him… the captors standing behind her, accompanied by many more thugs.

"Ha! Look, Shi-kun, he's changed his appearance. My, you really _must_ be a great, _fearless_ dog-demon! Quick, change into a chicken! Bawk-bawk!(4)" the younger bandit taunted. Inuyasha glanced down at his hand. There were no claws, just stubby fingernails in their stead. Frantically, he patted the sides of his head. There were the ears of a humanoid in the place of a canine's. His eyes became so wide, one would wonder why they didn't pop from the strain.

"This may have been our easiest capture yet, Tomoru-san!" Shichimaru sneered. "The demon came straight to us! What did the lady call you, dog? Inuyasha? Well, Inuyasha, prepare to fight!" he cried, unsheathing his sword. Almost at once, the other bandits unsheathed their weapons, as well. Inuyasha brandished Tetsusaiga, but it did not transform.

"Aww, yer big, bad sword run out of power, demon?" Pouted Tomoru. Inuyasha grunted.

"Quit yer yappin'! Even without my sword, I can still kick… your…" Inuyasha's vision began to blur, his legs beginning to wobble beneath him. He stumbled as he lost all strength in his legs.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, rushing over to the wounded man as he fell to his knees. "Inuyasha… Are you okay?" She asked, taking him into her arms and gently touching his wound. He let out a cry of agony, and Kagome immediately retracted her hand. "Oh! Sorry…" She apologized, clenching her fist and pressing it to her lips. She then gazed pensively at the blood on her fingertips, standing up slowly.

"We'll take the demon, now, if you don't mind…" Tomoru said. Quickly, he leaned over to grab Inuyasha's arm, jerking at it as a signal to get up. Inuyasha just held his head with his free hand, too dazed to react.

"Hey!" Kagome cried, taking her bow and arrows from a nearby thug, after whacking him in the face with her elbow. She drew her bow, pulling an arrow as far back as the string could go, aiming at Tomoru's chest. "Drop him!" She ordered.

"Sorry, baby-face, I can't do that. Special orders from Mayor Yousaka," Tomoru said, holding the tip of his blade to Kagome's nose. "Now put down your bow and arrow and maybe I won't kill ya, okay?" He said as kindly as if he were talking to a very small child, patting Kagome on the head. Kagome's entire body was shaking with nervousness, but she quickly shifted her aim to the young man's forehead.

"I said let him go, or I'll shoot!" she cried, her hand shaking as she pulled the arrow back farther.

"Kagome…" Tears welled up in Kagome's eyes at the frailty in Inuyasha's voice. "No… Let them… take me…" He said lethargically, taking raspy breathes between pauses.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome whispered, lowering her bow a little.

"Please," he begged, looking slowly up at Kagome. She was shaken by the empty sadness in his eyes, hidden a wee bit by his drooping eyelids. "Just… go away… I'll..." Before he had the chance to finish his sentence, Inuyasha hung his head and Kagome knew that he had finally lost consciousness. He slumped out of Tomoru's grip, dirt flying into the air as his face hit the ground.

Pausing a bit, Shichimaru cleared his throat. "Uh… Can we take him _now?"_

Kagome nodded quietly, letting out a meek 'yes'. Miroku, Sango, and Shippou all gasped at once.

"All right, boys, hoist 'im up!" cried Shichimaru, waving a hand towards himself and backing up towards the direction of the village. Two men grabbed a hold of Inuyasha's arms, and another two gripped his legs, carrying him out of the forest. Kagome chewed her bottom lip, staring regretfully at the ground as the last of the thugs left through the brush. When all were gone, Shippou, Miroku, and Sango flocked around Kagome.

"Why'd you just let them take Inuyasha like that, Kagome?" Shippou inquired, standing with his hands on his hips. Kagome said nothing, continuing to stare at the ground.

"Why did _we?"_ said Miroku, staring at Shippou until the little fox-demon felt bad, which wasn't a very long time.

"Mm… What's going to happen to Inuyasha?" asked Shippou, staring back up at Miroku. "He lost a lot of blood, and who _knows _what the villagers might do to him! They didn't sound like they were gonna be too hospitable towards him, _that's_ for sure."

Miroku sighed. "In these turbulent times, no one, human nor demon is expected to be trusted. Let us pray that they soon realize that Inuyasha is not the assassin they are searching for, before it is too late. Let us pray for his well-being." And with that, he formed a mudra(5), chanting a little prayer to Kannon(6), deity of mercy.

"Kagome, you don't seem too worried." Sango observed, and Kirara seemed to echo her curiosity, perking her ears and giving an inquisitive mew. Kagome looked up from the ground, an enlightened smile spreading across her face.

"I think I have an idea…"

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AN:

1.) A shakujo is a Buddhist monk's staff. It is typically used as a walking stick, or to warn people or insects on the road that the monk is drawing near. It is also sometimes used as a weapon, as Miroku demonstrated many times in the manga/series.

2.) Inari is the Shinto god of fertility, foxes, and rice, who often takes the form of a white fox or a cranky old man.

3.) Teishu-sama roughly means "Master Innkeeper"

4.) In the Japanese Oki islands, a dog-demon takes on much the same role as a fox-demon, shape-shifting to fit any form, thus Tomoru's reference.

5.) A mudra is a sort of hand gesture that Buddhist monks form whilst praying or meditating, often exhibited by Miroku in the series.

6.) Kannon is, indeed, the Buddhist deity of mercy and one of the avatars of Buddha. This female entity was originally the Chinese goddess of luck, Quan Yin.

Sorry about all of the author's notes… Um… I do realize that no human can survive severe blood-loss without immediate medical attention, but work with me here. I hope you liked the first chapter, it took me (Tinuviel's Song) _four_ months to write, lol! Please review and come back soon for the second chapter!


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